Footsteps of Buddha Tour

Day 01: Arrival at Mumbai

Representatives of Top India Tourism will warmly welcome you on the first day of your Footsteps of Buddha Tour on your arrival at Mumbai International Airport. You will be assisted in your boarding and lodging in a hotel at the city center. Rest of the day will be all yours.

Day 02: Mumbai

We will see the following Buddhist attractions of Mumbai on the second day of our tour:

Elephanta Caves : This UNESCO World Heritage Site is situated 11 km from Colaba in Mumbai. There are beautiful wall paintings and sculptures related to Buddhism in the historic caves.

Kanheri Caves : The Buddhist caves are situated north of Boriveli and comprise of 109 small rock cut cells having statues of Buddha.

Gateway of India : You can take a ferry ride to Elephanta Caves from this 26 m high gateway which has become a landmark of Mumbai. It is popular picnic destination also.

Jogeshwari Caves : Located in Mumbai suburbs, 3 km from Jogeshwari railway station, these Buddhist caves are considered to be the oldest in the region.

Day 03: Mumbai-Aurangabad

We will drive to Aurangabad soon after our hearty breakfast on the third day of our Footsteps of Buddha Tour and visit its following attractions:

Aurangabad Caves : The sixth century caves have impressive statues of Buddha and some Hindu deities.

Siddhartha Garden : The beautifully landscaped garden has many varieties of shrubs and medicinal plants, and also houses a zoo.

Daulatabad Fort : The 12th century fort has a 5 km long wall and a serries of ramparts.

Purwar Museum : Located on Safara Road, the museum has 800 year old Paithani sari and other curios for the visitors.

Overnight stay will be in Aurangabad.

Day 04: Aurangabad- Excursion to Ajanta - Ellora Caves

We will be having excursions to the world famous Ajanta & Ellora Caves this day and visit their following attractions:

Ajanta Caves : The world heritage site of Ajanta Caves has 29 caves in all that have amazingly fine wall paintings and sculptures of Buddha, depicting his life and times. The caves have large halls and beautifully carved pillars.

Ellora Caves : The caves are situated 23 km from Ajanta Caves. This world heritage site has 12 Buddhist that have finely hand crafted wall paintings and sculptures of Lord Buddha, Bodhisattvas and his prominent disciples. There are 17 Hindu Caves and 05 Jain Caves in Ellora.

We will move to Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh and have our overnight stay in a hotel there.

Day 06: Bhopal-Agra

We shall see the following attractions of Bhopal this day:

The Great Sanchi Stupa : This is the most prominent attraction for tourists to Bhopal. This World Heritage Monument was built by Emperor Ashoka in third century BC. It has massive gates with beautiful carvings, statues and engravings of Buddha. This World Heritage Site is the most popular draw of Sanchi for tourists the worldwide.

Bhimbetka Caves : The prehistoric caves are situated 46 km from Bhopal and wall paintings made by prehistoric men have been found in these caves.

Bharat Bhawan : It is a thriving center for contemporary verbal, visual and performing art forms.

Gohar Mahal : The beautiful palace is situated on the banks of Upper Lake.

We will leave for Bodhgaya, the place where Buddha attained enlightenment at evening after our sightseeing.

Day 10: Bodhgaya

We will see the following attractions of Bodhgaya on the tenth day of our Footsteps of Buddha Tour:

Mahabodhi Mahavihara : The ancient shrine built by Emperor Ashoka is situated close to the Bodhi Tree under which Buddha attained Nirvana. It is the most sacred shrine of Buddhists all over the world. Buddha Poornima is celebrated here on a grand scale every year in which Dalai Lama also participates.

Bodhi Tree : The tree is descendent of the original Peepal tree under which Buddha attained Nirvana after weeks’ long meditation, which later came to be known as the Bodhi Tree.

Animesh Lochan Chaitya : The chaitya is situated at the place where Buddha meditated during the second week of his long meditation period to attain enlightenment.

Great Buddha Statue : The 80 feet high white marble Great Buddha Statue attracts tourists in large numbers. There are beautiful gardens around with statues of the prominent disciples of Buddha.

Day 13: Kushinagar – Sravasti (Balrampur) (216 km / 05 hrs)

Jetavana Monastery : The 2nd century Buddhist monastery is situated in Velunana. Lord Buddha delivered his several discourses here.

Anathapindika Stupa : The stupa was built by Anathapindika, a chief disciple of Buddha who was a merchant by profession.

Saheth : There are several ancient monasteries spread over an area of 32 sq km in this region.

Balrampur : There are several shrines built in modern architectural style here.

Other attractions of Sravasti are: Payagpur, Maheth and Kharagpur.

Day 14: Sravasti-Lumbini (197 km / 4.5 hrs)

We will drive to Lumbini on the fourteenth day of our Footsteps of Buddha Tour and visit its following attractions:

Ashoka Pillar : The 3rd Century BC historic pillar erected by Emperor Ashoka marks the place where Prince Siddhartha was born who later became Lord Buddha after enlightenment.

The Sacred Garden : You can spend some peaceful time in complete solace in this beautiful garden.

Monasteries : There are several Indian and foreign Buddhist monasteries in Lumbini which are visited by numerous pilgrims.

The Crane Sanctuary : It is a protected here and a breeding ground for the endangered cranes.

Other attractions of Lumbini are: Lumbini International Research Institute (LIRI), Lumbini Museum, Sagarhawa and Nigilihawa.

Overnight stay will be in Lumbini.

Day 15: Lumbini-Kathmandu (By flight)

On the fifteenth day of our tour, we will fly to Kathmandu; the capital city of India’s neighboring country Nepal. Our executives will assist you in your boarding and lodging in a hotel at Kathmandu. Rest of the day will be at your pleasure. You will be served luscious dinner in your hotel room. Enjoy a sound sleep. We will see Kathmandu’s Buddhist attractions the next day.

Day 16: Kathmandu

You will be served hearty breakfast in your hotel room. We will start sightseeing of Kathmandu’s following attractions soon after that.

Boudnath : This is one of the largest Stupas in the world and is largely managed by Tibetan monks.

Hiranya Varma Mahavihar : This three storey Golden Pagoda was built by King Bhaskar Varma in 12th century.

Mahaboudha Vihara : Also known as the Temple of Thousand Buddhas, it is situated near Durbar Square. Its architecture is inspired by the Mahavihara of Bodh Gaya.

Nagarkot : We will enjoy a beautiful sunset view from here in the backdrop of snow clad Himalaya peaks.

Other attractions of Kathmandu are: Chovar, Patan, Historical National Museum and Naryanhity Durbar.

Overnight stay will be in hill resort in Kathmandu.

Day 17: Kathmandu – Departure

This will be the last day of your Footsteps of Buddha tour. Executives of Top India Tourism will pick you up from your resort after you had your delicious breakfast and escort you to Kathmandu International Airport from where you can board in the flight way back to your home with treasured memories of Footsteps of Buddha Tour in your heart.